The Experience: When I was little, my dad used to set up our model train set in the work room, running the track on plywood boards laid on saw horses so they were right at my eye level. I loved operating the train myself, watching it go through the towns and mountains, and I was entranced by all the miniature embellishments that went along with it.

We left the train set behind many years ago, but my kids can enjoy the magic of model trains at the annual Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club Show in North Portland. The layout, in a 60 by 70 foot room, represents the rail lines between Portland and Wishram, Washington.

Set in the 1950′s, the display is true to the era. You’ll see the Broadway and Steel Bridges, Wink’s Hardware Store and the Greyhound Bus Station downtown. As the HO scale train heads out of town and into the country, it passes a drive-in movie theater, flying saucers, a circus, a carnival, grain towers, and more. Kids excitedly point out newly-discovered details to siblings and parents.

A trip to the model railroad show is a sweet reminder that sometimes our children do enjoy the same things we did when we were young.
Inside information: Make sure your kids complete the scavenger hunt, which includes Waldo, a two-story outhouse, and a rocket car. Looking for specific items helps them home in on the intricacies of the display.

The 411
Ages: Good for all ages.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays throughout November.
Cost: Adults $6, kids (3 – 11) $2.
Location: 2505 North Vancouver (at the corner of Vancouver and Russell), Portland
Contact information: 503-28-TRAIN (503-288-7246), www.cgmrc.com

November 9th, 2010 | Category: Family Fun Reviews